


Gold Means Precious

by Stumbling-While-Balancing (Rellanka)



Series: Keith's Birthday Fic Celebration [9]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Developing Relationship, Introspection, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-07 17:21:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16412684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rellanka/pseuds/Stumbling-While-Balancing
Summary: An introspective look at their relationship, from the beginning to the start of something new.





	Gold Means Precious

When Kolivan had first learned that Keith’s second name meant gold, and then further learned of the preciousness of the metal, he had thought that Keith having a name that also belonged to something that was treasured felt appropriate. Felt valid. Felt like the fate attempting, in its own way, to let every living creature who ever met Keith to know the value of the man. The worth of him. 

It seemed as if it was all too easy for people to look at Keith and disregard him, write him off as someone too moody, too closed off, too hotheaded, even as someone not worth knowing because of all of those things and more that others perceived him as. Fate itself tried to show people that they were wrong to think that way. Not many heeded. 

Kolivan was himself used to being written off as emotionless and unfeeling. It was mostly done by those that had never felt the hardship and the desperation of war, but sometimes by even those that had. He’d looked at Keith, and he hadn’t seen what other’s claimed he was; he saw someone with an amazing amount of potential, someone that Kolivan wanted to see **meet** that potential. 

From the very first moment he stood in front of Kolivan and demanded answers, fiery and bright and not frightened by the fact that he and his friend were vastly outnumbered, he had sparked Kolivan’s interest. Not his attraction, no. That had come later, after Keith had managed to wiggle his way under the fortress that protected Kolivan’s heart, even as Kolivan tried with everything he was to keep himself distanced from the stubborn, foolish (beautiful, loyal, selfless, _precious_ ) boy. 

When news came to him of Voltron’s death, he had mourned him, deeply. More deeply than he had any soldier before. More deeply than he had ever known he would. Shamefully, it was most likely that mourning ( _that weakness,_ he cursed inwardly) that had allowed enough of a gap in his defenses for the Druid to capture him. Because Kolivan had grown too attached, he was forced to hear- and, if the Druid was feeling particularly cruel, see- as his men were slaughtered, one by one, by the monster that held him captive.

Any attempt to end his life would have been worthless, after the Druid managed to get the code from him. The Druid hadn’t needed him alive after that, though he kept him alive for his own sick amusement. Kolivan, for his part, held on for a singular reason: the determination that he would one day find the strength to end the Druid, himself. To kill the monster, and then to never allow himself to feel so strongly someone that their loss weakened him again. 

The vow was summarily destroyed, of course, when Keith appeared in front of his eyes again. Healthy, and beautiful, and strong, and **alive**. He saved Kolivan, because of course he did. That’s what Keith did; he saved the ones he cared for, no matter what danger he was throwing himself into. And at the sight of him, standing triumphant over the Druid that had been Kolivan’s personal monster, Kolivan fell anew, hopeless against the magnetic allure of him. His walls were torn and frayed by the grief he had dealt with for the past three years, and his heart wasn’t prepared enough to block out the feelings when he saw Keith again; beautiful, so beautiful, as he saved him. 

***

Later, he and Krolia speak of his feelings only once, and it went as thus:

“He spoke about you, you know.” Krolia said, too casually offhanded for her to be anything other than leading, “While we were stuck in the Abyss. He spoke well of you.”

“Probably only about what a harsh leader I was toward him.” Kolivan said, forcing down anything like hope with iron control. He was an old fool to even begin to consider that Keith would feel… anything like what Kolivan wished he would feel.

“No.” Krolia said flatly, regarding him with an unimpressed look in her gaze, “He spoke about how you encouraged him. How you cared for him. How you warned him not to be emotional, but protected him when he was, regardless. How you were there for him, even when no one else was. He cares for you a great deal.” 

“He cares for me as a teacher and a leader, as it should be, Krolia.” Kolivan said sternly, unable to allow Krolia to continue making the small, niggling hope within him grow even more. 

“Perhaps.” Krolia admitted, turning her gaze back to her data pad, “Perhaps not. Only Keith decides how he feels about someone, Kolivan. You should remember that.”

And Kolivan had turned from her, unwilling to admit how deeply her words had affected him. 

***

Returning to Earth when finding out that Keith had been seriously injured, had been, perhaps, a bit telling of how deeply his priorities were now tied to Keith. He excused it by emphasizing the need to set up a base in the hub of the Coalition, that that was likely were the most fighting would occur, with Voltron being a beacon to the Galra that wished to make their mark on history. He ignored the knowing look in Krolia’s eyes when he stated that he would need Keith’s help in seeing to the construction of the base and the training regimens of any young recruits. Kolivan excused it by saying that the recruits would need to learn to listen to the leader of Voltron as they listened to him, but he didn’t feel as if it convinced her of anything. 

For his part, Keith was more than willing to work to help (more than willing to work at Kolivan’s side). There were endless days where they just poured over blueprints, finding the best ways to use Slav’s and the other scientist’s technology to make the base hidden and impenetrable. When they weren’t doing that, they were often training the recruits together or planning missions while feeding of each other’s experience and knowledge. It soon became that the only times they weren’t together was when Keith’s other priorities called him elsewhere. In the end, it wasn’t just the young Blades that started answering to both of them; it was even the veterans, looking to Keith when Kolivan was away, accepting Keith’s orders as if they came from Kolivan himself. The truly became the equals they had always been meant to be.

The humans were interesting, when it came to the Blade’s inclusion in their world. They were unsure about helping too much at first, still wary of anyone who was a Galra. But Kolivan found that they were also one of the quickest race to warm up to the Blade, once they realized they truly were there to help. They seemed to be very good at differentiating the Blades from the Galra that had attacked their planet, at least when it came the ones that the Blade interacted with the most. Soon, he saw his Blades having positive interactions and even forming friendships with the humans. 

Tellingly, his attention was especially caught by those Blades that were forming **romantic** entanglements with them. He would find himself staring at them, sometimes. Staring at the differences in their appearances and statures and how they seemed to make it work, regardless. Staring, and making comparisons between them and his fondest dreams, and trying to fight back the urge to fantasize about things that would never come true. 

But those dreams **did** come true, eventually. Though Kolivan, who had never thought they would, was beyond surprised when Keith reached out to yank him down, placing his lips on Kolivan’s own before Kolivan had a chance to react- which was a good thing, really. In his utter shock, his body had started to react as it was trained to do, as if to protect him from an attack. He didn’t think throwing Keith away from him would have been a good response. And he so desperately wanted to put forth a **good** response. (One that would keep Keith with him forever.)

At the feel of his lips, Kolivan’s mind had gone white with shock, then red with lust. It felt as if a dam had finally broken within him, and everything he had been holding back came rushing free at once. Every wish, every want, every desire to have Keith in every way possible. Given an indication that his desires were allowed, Kolivan’s body decided to work through all of them it possibly could at once. 

He… probably should have waited, had a discussion about what Keith wanted and what their relationship would be before he fucked Keith in every surface of that room… but Keith had been so delightfully eager, so perfectly willing, leaning into and returning Kolivan’s every caress, and Kolivan had been lost, swept up completely in Keith. 

It wasn’t until much later after their fervor had finally abated that the conversation had come. To Kolivan’s pleasant surprise, it had been a good one. One in which Kolivan was able to learn that his feelings were returned, that Keith had fallen as deeply in love with him as he was with the impossible man, the one that had reached into the center of Kolivan and wrapped not only his heart, but his very being around his little finger. Faced with everything he ever wanted come true, Kolivan had been stuck between an uncharacteristic glee and a surety that this must be a dream. In the end, it took several days of waking up with Keith in his arms before he was convinced it was reality. 

Not even the revelation that Galra mated for life had scared Keith off; that if Keith chose Kolivan, he would likely be able to choose no other. Instead the man, the wonderful, beautiful, impossible man had turned to him and looked into his eyes as he informed Kolivan that he had already chosen. At his reassurance, Kolivan had bowed his head and breathed his thanks to the higher powers that had given him this precious gift, before facing Keith again and cupping Keith’s face in his hand, informing him that Kolivan had made his own choice long ago. 

And that led to now, where Keith was once again curled up in their bed and his arms, breathing deeply against Kolivan’s chest where he was pillowed as he slept. The sight, the **feel** of him was a gift that Kolivan had been given the good luck to receive again and again. It was one he never tired of. 

Sighing softly while he looked down at his love, reaching one hand forward to softly, delicately trace the edge of his face, Kolivan knew perfect peace and joy. Keith was a treasure, one that Kolivan had done nothing worthy enough to earn. But one that he would endeavor to keep and make happy for the rest of his life all the same.


End file.
